Chautauquan finds joy in portraying Louie Armstrong

It was a mistake; Louie Armstrong was so excited to perform in France for the first time that he knocked his sheet music off the stand and, showcasing improvisation at its finest, used the only instrument immediately available to him: his voice. Those noises became known as “scatting,” opening the door for one of the most famous jazz musicians of all time. This year’s High Plains Chautauqua performances will feature Gregory Kenney portraying Armstrong.

“One thing I do is start the program off with ‘It’s a Wonderful World’ and have (the audience) join me because almost everyone knows that song,” Kenney said during a phone interview. “Then, in the middle of the program, which is my favorite part of the program, we do the scat number. I think my program is a bit different than those of other Chautauquans because I focus quite a bit on interaction with the audience.”

Kenney, who started Educate Us Productions, has portrayed Armstrong more than 250 times for audiences across the nation. His decision to portray America’s Jazz Ambassador has to do with his appreciation for black accomplishment.

“I impersonate African-American historical figures for schools and community programs. The history is just so rich,” he said. “I was looking for a musical figure to do and I wanted someone who was different. I’ve always loved Louie Armstrong not so much for his horn, but because he was an entertainer and he always did that ‘scat.’ ”

For Kenney, he wanted to find a way to educate youth on black success in history. The portrayal of famous blacks in costume and character has been his golden ticket.

“When I got out of college, I joined a company and we did impersonations in schools; that led me to start my own company,” he said. “Getting youth involved is exactly what my company is about. We found that the kids were drawn into it. Our goal is to get them excited about history.”

In addition to impersonating Louis Armstrong, Kenney has portrayed Jackie Robinson and performs programs on slaves who made the trip up north, as well as Rosa Parks and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Kenney said he aims to make his shows as interactive and fun as possible.

“I’ve had great feedback on my Louie show because of how it is all done,” Kenney said. “We Chautauquans have to use just ourselves to talk and portray the history of someone’s life. I bring people up from the audience and perform songs. I get joy out of seeing audiences appreciate and enjoy what I do.”